Demolition and Construction

Transplanting architectural designs and dreams from paper to reality required substantial funds and an experienced contractor. On June 4, 1957, the Society commissioned J.S.Cornell & Son, Inc. to build Library Hall for an estimated cost of $2,000,000. Constructing Library Hall did not proceed as quickly as anticipated. By November 1957, when the Society had initially hoped to lay the cornerstone, it became clear that the contractors needed more time for the demolition of the Drexel Building, slowing down the schedule to lay Library Hall’s foundation. Below, you can see a succession of photos highlighting the progress of the demolition and construction from 1956 to 1958.

Galleries

Scroll through the images below for a visual history of the construction of Library Hall.